Underage Pimps

Underage Pimps

OCTOBER 23--A 15-year-old Washington boy and his 17-year-old brother operated a prostitution ring that employed underage hookers who kicked back money to the duo’s mother, according to investigators.

The accused pimps--Dionte Hunter and his older brother Thaishaun--are locked up on felony charges stemming from the prostitution business, which operated from their Spokane home.

According to an October 20 court filing, Dionte’s involvement in the prostitution operation began when the 4’ 10”, 100-pound defendant was still 14. The Hunter brothers (Thaishaun is at left) are pictured in the adjacent Facebook photo.

Police first learned that the brothers were turning out several women via backpage.com ads after Thaishaun was arrested for a January shooting. Concerned that Hunter was attempting to intimidate witnesses, cops began reviewing the his phone calls from the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center.

“While monitoring calls I inadvertently discovered a call placed by [Thaishaun] with conversation that included talk related to prostitution or the promotion of prostitution,” an investigator noted in a court affidavit.

During the recorded jailhouse calls, the Hunter brothers discuss how a 14-year-old prostitute is “making all the money,” though the girl was beaten as punishment for “fucking up a call.” Dionte then told his brother that the girl “looks too young,” adding that her “face is fucked up.”

In another call, Thaishaun speaks with his girlfriend, who works for him as a prostitute. The 16-year-old, identified in court filings as “J.R.,” complains that she does not want to work with Dionte since he threatened to assault her. Thaishaun then explained that she had to deal with Dionte since his brother was the only person he trusted.

As detailed in the affidavit, other calls provided evidence that Thaishaun directed Dionte to “facilitate illegal prostitution and to distribute proceeds between them and his mother.”

During a February 9 call, a hooker tells Thaishaun that Dionte “just slapped the fuck outta” the 14-year-old prostitute. “It happens,” replied Thaishaun. He then cautioned, “You talking too much, these phone calls are recorded.”

In a February 17 call, the brothers discuss making $1000 in eight hours, with Thaishaun noting that “shit was boomin’” and that calls in response to their online ads were “poppin’ off.” Thaishaun also directed the 14-year-old Dionte to “take control” and treat the hookers right so “that way they stay around.” He added that, “loyalty is better than one and done.”

The ring’s backpage.com ads included a phone number registered to the mother of the Hunters, according to the court affidavit. During a recorded jail call, Thaishaun spoke with “Mom” about the “business operation,” which, investigators contend, suggests that the woman was aware that her sons pimped women.

Additionally, a 20-year-old prostitute who worked for the Hunters told Spokane police that Thaishaun’s girlfriend gave about 25 percent of her earnings to her boyfriend’s mother (who has not been charged in connection with the prostitution operation).

The hooker, Aaliyah Johnson, and Thaishaun’s girlfriend “J.R.” were arrested by undercover cops who responded to one of the backpage.com ads. “J.R.” reportedly admitted to police that she engaged in prostitution and was in business with Johnson. The teenager also said she was “not a victim.”

While the 14-year-old girl acknowledged to police that her image appears in some of the online ads, she claimed not to know what was going on with Thaishaun “and all them.” (12 pages)